Fragments
by o0Virgo0o
Summary: AU: With her life in danger, she flees to the only guild she knows for protection. She is a noble, and they are commoners. Fairy Tail helps everyone, and they will protect her. Right?
1. Chapter 1

_Welcome to my first fanfic! I present to a NaLu flavored suspense! I do have some experience in writing stories due to my friend, who is always requesting me to write a story for her (why she can't write it herself, I'll never know) so I'm pleased to say it won't be completely horrible. _

_Though I guess I should stop talking and let you see for yourself, ne?_

_Disclaimer: I don't not, nor will I ever, own this amazing series. All Mashima's work._

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_**o0 Fragments 0o**_

_**o0 Chapter One: Appearance 0o**_

_**Written By: o0Virgo0o**_

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Streets were slick with rain water, the light reflecting off the surface prettily.

Nobles wearing dresses and suits of many different kinds roamed the streets, laughing gaily at their partners or friends' comments. Peasants walked the sidewalks a bit more cautiously, for they weren't accepted. No one cared for them. When one died, murdered or by natural standards, no one would care. Their names wouldn't get printed in the newspaper, no one would hold a memorial, no one would place a bouquet on their graves. Hell, they didn't even get buried in the same graveyards as the nobles, simply because they were poor.

Then there were the commoners. Not a poor as a peasant and not as rich as noble. They had money, enough to pay for a decent house, but not a mansion. Nobles are born rich, peasants are born poor or gamble their money away, whereas commoners have relatives or friends in high places that loan them money. However one is never a commoner for long.

Thinking they do have as much money as a noble, a commoner often wastes it away, forgetting they are in debt to their families or friends, therefore digging themselves into further debt. Either the commoners quickly fall to peasantry or slavery, or the nobles hire someone to kill them. Either way, the commoners never last long.

Some however are smart enough to work off their debts as servants or something else, such as Mirajane Strauss.

The girl was the age of sixteen when she had left her noble household. It wasn't that she didn't like her way of living, quite the opposite in fact. She lived happily and healthily with her younger brother and sister. They had fine dresses, silk sheets, nice suits, straightened hair, full bellies, everything. Mirajane and her little sister, Lisanna, always looked perfect and beautiful, especially as the two started to grow older. Elfman was a bit on the muscular and darker side, but that didn't deter from his looks.

At age thirteen, he had wild, white hair that contrasted with his tanned skin. He had a long scar running diagonally from his right eye due to a training incident when he was ten, a strong jaw and a firm nose. Despite the scar, he was still a desirable man for noble girls in his age group.

Lisanna was small at nine years old, smaller than the average girl. Her white hair was cropped short and framed her face naturally. It matched perfectly with her pale skin and rosy cheeks. Her bright blue eyes flared with innocence and a smile was almost always on her face, even during the most troubled times.

Being the oldest at age fifteen, Mirajane was developing nicely. Her white hair was long, brushing over her backside when left down, her bangs falling over her icy blue eyes. A generous bosom pressed uncomfortably against the fine fabrics of her dress. For some odd reason, Mira would never receive a new closet of dresses as she grew older.

It was a peaceful time, living in that household. Her parents treated her well, and her siblings adored her.

One day, her father was struck with a mysterious illness, one that local doctors were unable to cure. The family had been devastated when they heard the news. For the next few months, they all sat by his bedside to keep him company until his time drew to an end. When it did, it shouldn't have surprised them as much as it did, and it shouldn't have hurt them as much either. But it did, and it racked their cores intensely. The tears didn't stop until a week after his death.

In order to get over her last love, Mira's mother had remarried a short six months after his death to a young noble named Jose. Everything seemed fine for the first month. Lisanna had taken a quick liking to him and often clung to his side. Elfman was a bit more tamed, but adored him just as much. Mira respected him and her mother was beginning to fall for him. Jose was a charming man, and swayed her easily. Soon, the mother allowed herself to move on from her old husband to love Jose. He was a nice man, and as long as he made her family happy, Mira was happy as well.

But first came the looks.

He would throw glances in her direction at first. Then they would turn into gazes, and then the long stares. Mira noticed when he thought she didn't. His eyes would rake her figure seductively, and Mira would always shower afterwards. His looks made her feel dirty, tainted.

Then came the comments.

He would often compliment her on her dress for the day, or the way her hair was done up. Being naturally polite, Mira would always thank him with a smile and think nothing of it, or at least try to.

And finally the touches.

He would play with her hair as she was reading. His fingers would skim her neck occasionally as he grazed the fabric of her dress. He would fiddle with the chain of her necklace. Allow his thumb to graze over her bottom lip. All the while with _that_ look in his eyes. That leer.

After an aching four months of false smiles and subtle touches, Mira decided she had enough. Two months after her sixteenth birthday, she told her mother about Jose's advances, and her concern that he was going to do something more, or maybe go after Lisanna. Mira had firmly told her mother that it would be safer for her and her siblings to leave the household.

Her mother had declined.

Mira had endured another month of touches and comments thrown her way. She was a strong girl, and she knew it, and that gave her the strength to push through it. But when he had started with the glances in Lisanna's direction, Mira saw red.

She didn't remember the incident, only small fragments. She remembered seeing blood and a bruised face, but it was fuzzy in her mind. When she asked her brother about the incident, he had described her as a demon in disguise. A pretty face, but with a burning fire in her soul. Mira had been horrified by her actions and quickly gathered her and her siblings belongings. The only thought that had ran through her mind was getting out of that house before she lashed out again.

She, Elfman and Lisanna had fled the house immediately. Mira apologized profusely for her actions to her mother, who was distraught about the whole ordeal, and only asked for support in a new home. Being highly disappointed in her oldest, she easily granted the money and paid for a house. Just because she was upset with one of her daughters did not mean she needed to treated her other two children the same way. They had done nothing wrong, so she had treated them normally.

Nine years had passed and that left twenty-five year old Mira working in a guild as a bartender to pay off the debt to her mother. Lisanna was now eighteen years old, and Elfman was twenty-two. Even though the job wasn't much and she was the only one working, Mira enjoyed her job. At first she was a tad shy, especially with the strange catcalls, but none of the men went any further than hollers. For that, she was grateful. The guild was a lively one, parties everyday, animated chatter and random dancing. Mira even found herself sharing a laugh the man who ran the place, who had taken an instant liking to her and her siblings. He was like a parent figure to them, to everyone in the guild. Despite his perverted jabs, Mira loved him as much as her own father.

"Mira! Can I have a beer?!" one of the regulars shouted her way. The young barmaid smiled brightly and held up her finger, letting the customer know she needed one moment.

Musicians played loud tunes and screamed lyrics. Mira was sure the people outside could hear the chatter from beyond the doors. The thought caused the barmaid to giggle lightly as she poured the strong liquor into a small, clean glass and slid it down the table towards a blue-haired fellow, Macao.

She loved her job immensely. Everyone in the guild felt like another family to her when she had no one to depend on. The thought brought tears to the beauty's eyes and she swiped them away before someone could notice.

Setting out a tray, Mira filled four glasses with beer and started her way to the upper quarters. Around this time, four people would request beer and she would have to take it to them, for they thought they were 'better' than everyone else in the guild. They were rich, and apparently they didn't need to walk for their drinks.

As she approached the group of four, she set the tray on the table and handed them their drinks.

A beautiful woman with long brown hair and glasses glared in her direction. A man who wore a strange knights mask leered at her body. A man with long green hair nodded his thanks while taking his glass, and a bulky man with short, messy blonde hair and a scar looked at the distance indifferently.

"Thanks," the blonde muttered, grabbing his glass and downing it quickly. The masked man did the same, while the green-haired man and woman took small sips.

"You're very welcome Laxus," Mira responded politely. "You know, you could join everyone else down at the bar."

"And why would I do that?" He dragged his eyes over her form before rolling them and looking back at the wall. "There ain't much there."

Mira's grip on the metal tray tightened as she continued to smile sweetly. She knew he meant it as an insult, but she was long past getting hurt about it. He was like this with everyone except for his 'crew'. Or perhaps he was with them as well, she never knew for certain.

"Well there isn't much up here either," she replied, that smile still gracing her face. "Furniture wise, of course. At least down there, you can get more beer whenever you want instead of having to wait for me to come up here every three hours with a new glass."

"And at least we can enjoy the show as she serves it to us," the masked man said, his tongue flopping all over the place as he gazed at her longingly. Mira resisted the urge to slap him with the tray she was gripping.

"Bixlow!" the woman screeched. "Don't say stuff like that! She's hardly something to compliment."

"Oh Evergreen," Mira sighed. "Your words do not hurt me. Even though you are a very beautiful woman, you need a little... work on your attitude."

"What did you just say?!" Evergreen shouted, slamming her palms on the table, making the glasses jump. She snapped her head over to the green-haired man, who was trying to hold back a snicker. "Say something Freed!"

"It was a backhanded compliment Ever. Accept it with pride," Bixlow tossed in, howling with laughter afterwards. Evergreen scoffed and crossed her arms, glaring at the wall.

"I'm just saying that maybe you guys can join us on the floor sometime," Mira said, shrugging her delicate shoulders. "You are welcome any time. I'm sure we could all have fun."

"I don't have fun," Laxus replied, holding out his empty glass. "At least not the type of fun you're implying." His frown slid into a seductive grin. "The fun I'm thinking of involves a bed and a woman. I have a lot of that 'fun'."

"I'll just get you another beer." Despite being used to his dirty comments, Mira still found herself lightly flustered at the insinuation. She gathered the two empty glasses and started her way down the stairs.

Glancing at the bar table, she was surprised to see and unfamiliar figure sitting on a bar stool at the corner. The figure adorned a black cloak with the hood up. Mira couldn't see if it was a male or female. It was strange though, and a tad sketchy.

Mira took slow steps down the stairs, trying to gather as much information about the mystery person - which wasn't much. So far all she could catch was that the person was trembling. Mira was hesitant to approach them.

At last she made her way around the table and stood in front of the cloaked figure. She leaned her elbows on the wood quietly, reaching out a hand and tapping the stranger on the shoulder lightly.

A small gasp escaped plump lips and Mira knew it was a woman. It made the barmaid relax a little. The cloaked figure looked up and Mira smiled as she saw big brown eyes and long blonde hair. The girl was adorable! "Hello there. Is there something you need?"

Tears filled the girls eyes and Mira frowned. Did she say something wrong? Did she offend her? "I'm sorry? Did I-"

"Please," the girl whimpered, tears coursing down her pale cheeks.

"P-Please...? Please what?"

"I..." The girl looked around, before reaching a shaky hand out and resting it on Mira's own relaxed one. "I-I need help."

"Help? With what?"

"Y-You're a guild right? If I hire you, can you protect me? I-I didn't make this request beforehand because I didn't think I would ever need it but-" The girl stopped and took a deep shaky breath, looking around the guild once more. The action had Mira worried and gripping the trembling hand on hers.

"It's okay, Miss. Don't worry about not requesting on time. Just tell me, what do you need protecting from?" she asked gently, not trying to hurt or scare the girl more than she already was.

The stranger took a deep breath. "I-I'm going to be killed."

* * *

Lucy Heartfilia took quick steps towards the place she so desperately needed to get to. It was her only chance at being protected officially - at least to her.

Loki was more than reliable when it came to fighting and guarding. He was as fierce and loyal as a lion when it came to that area. But it was a situation like this where just having Loki, Virgo, Aries, all her servants at her side just wasn't enough. She needed official protection, and she was _not_ going to put her friends and her families servants in danger for her safety.

She needed hired help.

It wasn't easy getting money secretly from her father. He kept the vault shut and locked tightly. But with one seductive look and a bit of arm crossing, she had Taurus throwing open the door quickly. When he asked what she was going to do with the money, a little cheek caressing had him forgetting the question.

She knew her father took inventory of the money every week and counted how much they spent. He liked math and he was amazingly good at it when it involved money. It wouldn't be easy coming up with an excuse if - or rather when - he asked her about it. She'd come up with that later when she was shaking less.

Loki however, was persistent in getting the answer from her. He wanted to know why she was going out so late and wanted to escort her, spewing nonsense on how she was a beautiful woman and how they shouldn't be out late at night. It took her a while to convince him that two people would attract more attention than one. By that time, she was already two hours late and praying the place wasn't closed.

Now she paced the streets, her cloak fluttering in the light wind. Lucy sniffled as she thought of the reason _why_ she was heading that way.

An incident had her thinking that she needed professional help. She needed a guild. The closest one that she could think of was Fairy Tail - odd name - but she was sure there were others nearby. Love and Lucky had all but disappeared long ago, much to her parents dismay, and that was the only one she knew personally. Love and Lucky was like her second home. The people were nice and the food was exquisite. It was more of a nobles bar in fact.

Fairy Tail... She believed it was more of a commoners guild. Not exactly low class, but not high class either. Her father would be ashamed if he found out she went to commoners guild. He would scold her how it wasn't good for their image, their name. Luckily her mother would be there to stop him. Her touch always calming the burning fire in that man's eyes. Lucy smiled fondly as she pictured the scene.

Her mother was an angel indeed. A few years back, the woman had been struck with a terrible illness many others had contracted. The woman was bedridden and on the brink of death for months. Both Lucy and her father, Jude, had stayed by her side, rarely leaving even for emergencies. To them, her sickness was the biggest emergency.

When it seemed like Layla would stop breathing for good, Virgo had burst into the room with a strange smelling soup of some sort, demanding Lady Layla to drink it immediately. Jude almost struck the maid for her rudeness, but Layla had calmed him with a smile and took the soup. Her face cringed at the taste before her brown eyes rolled back and she collapsed on the bed. Immediately, Jude started screaming at Virgo as Lucy shook her mother's shoulders. The woman refused to wake and Lucy had collapsed in sobs.

For hours that felt like an eternity, Layla remained unconscious. Lucy's tears had long since dried as she stared blankly at the wall on the floor next to her mother's bed. Her father had had his head in his hands as he sat in a chair. No words were spoken between the two at all. The silence was heavy and thick and tense. It was suffocating.

Finally, Layla had blearily opened her eyes, mumbling something about weird soups. Jude and Lucy practically flew into the ceiling with how high and fast they sprung from their spots. Layla had smiled her beautiful, bright smile and assured them that she was feeling better already.

The next couple of months went by fast as Layla Heartfilia recovered from her illness. When she asked Virgo what that soup was, the masochistic maid had told her that it was an old recipe her 'father' had taught her. Virgo mentioned that as a child, she, too, had the same illness Layla had acquired. Her 'father', who they often called 'Celestial King' due to his vast knowledge of the stars, had learned that recipe from his ancestors and taught it to his children, who now faithfully served the Heartfilias as their servants.

Lucy and Jude were immensely grateful to Virgo for curing their mother/wife, and were highly confused when she asked for punishment.

Currently, the blonde sped-walked her way to Fairy Tail, keeping a wary eye on the people roaming at night. Alas, she could the roaring laughter and the jovial music of the guild from a block away. Eager to finally get off of the streets, Lucy hurried her pace, her skirts swaying with her rushed steps.

This was it. She stood tall in front the bustling building with nervous eyes and an accelerated heart rate. Would anyone recognize her? She did carry a high status over her head. Everyone knew of Lucky Lucy Heartfilia, the miracle baby that made the Heartfilia Kozern's profit skyrocket in a few short weeks. Did the commoner folk know what she looked like? Would she tarnish the image her parents worked so hard to build? Would she destroy it easily with just one step?

Lucy took a step back from the building before steeling her nerves and pushing the door open. No. Her safety was far more important than an image. Pictures could be painted, they could be destroyed, and they could be repainted even better or even worse. A life could only be lived one time, she'd be damned if she was going to be killed for an image that wasn't her priority. It sounded rude and selfish, she was aware, but was it wrong to be selfish for her life?

Weaving through the people of the guild, Lucy crinkled her nose at the smell of beer and cheap perfume. Did all commoners guilds smell this way? Love and Lucky smelled nice and fresh, like a nobles guild should. Lucy shook her head and hesitantly sat down on the corner bar stool, pulling her hood closer to her head to hide her blonde hair. She didn't come all this way just to be found out and glared at because of her status.

She sat there, alone in the dark corner for some time, idly wondering where the bartender was. Did this guild do things differently from Love and Lucky? Lucy frowned, briefly noticing that she sounded like an inexperienced child with all of these questions.

A soft tap on her shoulder had her gasping in surprise. Her brown eyes dragged up from the wooden table to the beautiful face of the barmaid. "Hello there. Is there something you need?" she asked.

Tears filled Lucy's eyes as the situation finally sunk in. As the reason finally registered in her mind. They overflowed and coursed down her pale, flushed cheeks.

"I'm sorry? Did I-"

"Please," she whimpered, wisps of hair escaping her bun and framing her face.

"P-Please...? Please what?"

"I..." Lucy looked around, before reaching a shaky hand out and resting it on the barmaid's own relaxed one. "I-I need help."

"Help? With what?"

"Y-You're a guild right? If I hire you, can you protect me? I-I didn't make this request beforehand because I didn't think I would ever need it but-" She stopped and took a deep shaky breath, looking around the guild once more. Lucy felt the hand holding hers tighten its grip, and she felt a surge of encouragement through that action.

"It's okay, Miss. Don't worry about not requesting on time. Just tell me, what do you need protecting from?" she asked gently, and Lucy felt her heart swell at the barmaid's caring attitude.

Taking another deep, shaky breath, she said, "I-I'm going to be killed."

_**To be**** continued...**_

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_Well I'm pleased to say that was chapter was a success. Right off the bat, you know Mira's past (which will be relevant later) and a bit of Lucy's past. But there will be more involving her, involving everyone. I already have this story planned out and every main character in Fairy Tail has a background. I'm also pleased to tell you that I already have the first five chapters typed and ready to post whenever you all are ready._

_I apologize if the characters seem a little OOC. Bear with it for a few more chapters, and they will shape back into their original personalities. And though there will be NaLu, it will take some time to get to that point, so please be patient. I'm going to try and make this story slow, but evenly paced as well. _

_I want to thank you all for reading the first chapter of **Fragments**. Please leave a review, it would mean the world to mean and possibly a faster update._


	2. Chapter 2

_Nothing better than receiving some nice reviews! I finally see why authors are so giddy when they see the notes piling up in their inbox. Thank you all so much! I'm glad this is turning into a success. And on a completely unrelated note, DID YOU READ THE NEWEST FAIRY TAIL CHAPTER?! JUST STAB ME IN THE HEART WHY DON'T YA MASHIMA! I am not kidding when I say it's all over Tumblr. The whole fandom is flipping tables and crying.  
_

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_ **o0 Fragments 0o**_

_**o0 Chapter Two: Tell Me 0o**_

_**Written By****: **__**o0Virgo0o**_

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Closing the door quietly, Mira turned and sent a concerned glance to the sobbing girl sitting in the chair, a glass of water in her trembling hands.

"I-I apologize," the girl whispered, a hand reaching up and wiping the stray tears. Mira's heart broke at the sight. Poor girl was so scared she was reduced to tears. Judging by the fine silks she wore, the girl was a noble, and Mira briefly wondered what made her come to Fairy Tail instead of a more... High class guild. The white-haired woman took a seat just as the blonde said, "My father told me it isn't classy to lose your composure."

"That's alright," Mira responded, shaking her head lightly with a smile. Nobles and their stupid lessons. "My father used to tell me that as well."

"Are you of noble blood?" Lucy asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"Well I was." The barmaid shrugged. "Things didn't go well, so I demoted myself to commoner status."

"I see..." Lucy took out a handkerchief and dabbed it at her eyes, careful of her makeup. Really, it didn't surprise her that the woman used to be a noble. She had that air around her that screamed proper, and it was the very same air that she herself carried. Lucy dabbed at her eyes once more. "Are you sure it's okay for you to be back here? Don't you have customers to tend to? I don't mean to impose."

Mira waved the questions away. "It's quite alright, my Lady. My little sister Lisanna can take care of the bar while I'm gone."

"But she's so young!" Lucy exclaimed. "Are you sure it's safe for her to be working for those people?"

"Please, she's probably no younger than yourself." Mira giggled and Lucy smiled with a small blush of embarrassment. "And the people of Fairy Tail never hurt each other. We're like family, you see, and family never hurts their own."

"Family... Never hurts their own..." Lucy parroted quietly, nodding slowly. The words pulled a cord and sent a warmth through her chest, one she felt often with her mother. "I see..."

Mira stared at the girl with a smile. Already she could tell they would become close friends despite the status issue. The girl in front of her looked like the type that didn't care about the position of the people she talked to as long as they were nice and treated her right. She looked like the type to always welcome new friends.

The girl was like herself and Lisanna in a way.

"What is your name?" Mira asked, leaning her elbows on the small table in front of them. She mentally patted herself on the back by keeping the girl calm despite her critical situation. "We can't be friends if I don't know your name."

Lucy giggled lightly, daintily. "My name is Lucy."

"Lucy what?"

"Just Lucy."

Mira hummed. "Surely you have a last name. Your clothes state you came from somewhere high up."

Lucy looked down at her soft pink, silk dress. It practically shouted 'noble' and 'money' and Lucy berated herself for not changing into something more... common-like.

The blonde shook her head. "Just Lucy." She didn't want to disclose her family name for fear of scandal. Her father would scold her to no end and her mother probably wouldn't stop him.

Mira nodded politely. "I understand your secrecy. It's highly frowned upon if nobles are seen in commoner or peasant guilds, right?" When Lucy nodded, Mira continued. "I would've just liked to know the full name of a potential client is all. We need to know who we are protecting so we know this isn't a trap."

"Potential client? Trap? Are you implying that I may be someone who is out to destroy the guild?"

"Oh no, that isn't it!" Mira hurriedly clarified. "Believe me, I know you are as pure as they come, I can see it." Lucy relaxed and Mira smiled. "However, we have made a few enemies over the years, being a very successful but destructive guild. You have to understand that we are a little cautious about the people we accept."

"I understand. I understand." Lucy sighed and leaned back on the chair. For some reason, she felt really comfortable with this woman, like she could tell her anything. She gave off a motherly vibe, one that was often felt with her own mother. Lucy smiled as she felt her body relax. "But what do you mean potential client? I have the purest of intentions, you just said so yourself."

"But that does not mean we can help you." Lucy tensed and Mira frowned apologetically. "I still have to get it approved by Master. He has to decide if we should accept the request or not."

Lucy nodded shakily. These were the rules, she knew. Of course they wouldn't accept something so easily. Of course they would have to get it approved. That was the whole reason why people request things early and they post it on the board, waiting for someone to take the job. She was stupid to just walk in and think they would help her without any protests because she was a noble. She sounded so self-centered.

"Yes, I understand. I must apologize for my frankness. It's been a while since I last went to a guild," she said, smiling apologetically. Mira reached over and grabbed her hand with a soft smile of her own.

"I understand your crisis, so I'll see if I can get it approved as fast as possible. I apologize as well." Lucy waved the apology away with a giggle, causing Mira's smile to widen.

"What is your name? You never told me."

"You never asked." The women giggled. "And my name is Mirajane Strauss. Mira to my friends."

Lucy nodded, a smile still stuck on her face. "Thank you, Mirajane-san."

"Mira to my friends." Lucy blinked. Mira smiled encouragingly, and very slowly, a soft smile crept onto Lucy's pretty face.

"Thank you, Mira."

* * *

Creeping inside was harder than she pictured it to be.

If her father knew she was standing on the roof trying to pry her window open, he would have a heart attack.

Lucy exhaled a loud breath, the air causing some strands of hair to fly up before falling back lightly on her forehead. Her knees hurt from kneeling in front of her window and she was sure the hem of her dress was all muddy from the garden. Maybe she could have Virgo wash it before her father found out.

Lucy stuck her palms on the window and tried pushing it up. The window wouldn't budge and Lucy groaned - quietly of course. She pressed her forehead to the window in desperation.

"This looked a lot easier in my head," she huffed. "Please don't tell me I forgot to unlock my window." With a whine, she lightly banged her head on the glass.

"Just say the password and I'll let you in," a muffled voice said from the room inside. Lucy clenched her fists and looked up sheepishly at the face in the window.

Orange hair was done wildly, like the mane of a lion. Tinted glasses slid low on the bridge of his nose and onyx eyes peeked out from underneath, shining mischievously. A grin stretched on a perfect mouth. A lean body rested on the window. Lucy regretted ever looking up.

"Hello Loke," she grumbled. She would rather have her mother catch her than this playboy of a servant. At least her mother wouldn't interrogate her, that was her father's job. "You want to let me in?"

"Just say the password and I'll let you in," he repeated, that stupid grin on his face.

"Loke, please."

"That's not it."

"Let me in!"

"Close."

"I swear Loke, if you don't open this window right now, I will cut-"

"Don't need to hear the rest of that," Loke said, paling.

Lucy sighed and softly knocked on the glass. If she couldn't get him to open the window by intimidation, then she would use her other tactic.

She lowered her head to her chest as tears filled her eyes. She sniffled once, twice, and thrice, a choked sob tearing from her throat. Loke's eyes widened as he saw her shoulders shake. He didn't mean to make her cry! He only wanted to have a little bit of fun. Without hesitation, he quickly unlocked the window and lifted it easily. "Sorry Lucy," he said, reaching out his hand as she slowly stepped in. She took it as she set her dirty shoes on the pristine carpet. "I didn't mean to make my Lady cry."

"Did you know how cold it was out there?" she sniffled. Loke shook his head and stuck a hand out of the window, finding the air quite warm actually.

"Miss Lucy, I think-"

"I could've frozen out there!" she screeched, throwing her tattered slippers in a dark corner, mentally noting to have them removed from the household before either of her parents could see. "How would Father react to this news?"

Loke smirked and firmly shut and locked the window. "I personally think that you would get in more trouble. Your father would question as to why you were out so late, am I correct?"

Lucy froze on her way to her closet, her chocolate eyes wide. She didn't think about that before she said it. The blonde threw a glare towards her butler, who was grinning like a fool.

"Touche," she said, making Loke laugh. "But if you knew that was a ruse, why did you play along?" the woman asked, plucking a pure white, ankle length nightgown from the closet.

"One: Because you're a great actress and I love seeing you perform." Lucy blushed and scoffed at the praise. "Secondly: Fake or not, I hate seeing your tears," he explained, walking up to her and brushing a stray tear from her cheek. "So I wanted to say something that would make you laugh." He shrugged. "Or rethink your words," he chuckled.

Lucy snorted, a very unladylike action that her father would've scolded her about, as she tried to hold back her own chuckle. She would not give him the satisfaction of hearing her laughter, not after he teased her while she was outside her own window.

She walked into the bathroom and quickly changed out of her noble tea dress and into her nightgown. Looking at the hem of her day attire, she saw that she was correct in assuming that the stitching was brown. It was already dried as well, which would make getting rid of it that much harder. Lucy sighed as she threw her head back and lowered the dress.

She didn't like lying to her father, and she definitely didn't like hiding anything from her mother. That woman meant the world to Lucy and she would be utterly devastated if she disappointed her.

Walking out of the bathroom, she handed the dress to Loke, who was standing patiently by the vanity. Taking a seat on the soft stool, she grabbed the brush and ran it gently through her golden locks as Loke folded the dirty dress over his arm.

"You know, I could have Cancer come and style your hair before bed. He loves doing it," he suggested. Lucy smiled softly at the mention of another one of her cherished servants. Cancer had done both her mothers and her hair before they went out. His skills with scissors, combs and brushes had the blondes admiring their hair for years, making other noble women envious.

"No thank you," she said politely, setting the brush down before putting her hair in ponytail. She pointed to the pink fabric on his arm, "but please have Virgo wash that for me. Make sure the dirt is completely off."

Loke nodded and started his way towards the door, stopping right in front of the wood before turning around and walking back towards her. "Will you tell me now?"

Lucy blinked. "Excuse me?"

"What you were doing out so late. You know it's against your parents wishes and you never want to upset them." Lucy froze and clasped her hands in her lap. "We all know you aren't the rebellious type and that you wouldn't leave the house at night without a reason." She clenched her eyes shut as Loke spoke, wishing he wouldn't continue to pry. "Lucy, I was worried sick about you. You were gone for a while and instantly the worst came to mind. Please tell me, where did you go?"

She remained silent, her eyes clenched shut as she tried to keep her mouth closed. His words caused a dull ache to pass through her chest, for she knew that she couldn't tell him anything for fear that he would be put in harms way as well. It hurt to keep everything bottled up inside herself when she desperately sought advice from someone. But if her silence saved their lives, then she would be more than happy to keep her trap shut.

"That dress isn't going to clean itself," she joked weakly. Lucy stood up from her stool and made her way to the large bed. She sat on it softly as she looked towards Loke with a smile. "Please make sure my parents don't find out about the dress or my outing. I would be in deep trouble."

Loke frowned and shook his head. She decided not to tell him anything, and it hurt that she didn't trust him enough to divulge the information on her whereabouts. Either where she went wasn't important enough to tell and was just a one-time thing, or it was extremely important to where she couldn't say anything for fear of losing something important.

Loke sighed and bowed politely. Though they were very close friends and he flirted with her constantly, he was still her butler and would respect her privacy. Lifting himself from the action, he gave her a quick nod. "Yes Miss Lucy," he said and scurried out of the room, shutting the oaken door in his wake.

The room was silent apart from Lucy's soft breathing. It was like that for a few moments before she let out a long, shaky sigh.

Why was her heart beating so fast? Was she truly _that_ nervous when talking to him on the subject of her possible help? Or was it because she was so close to spilling the truth to him?

Oh she knew she was being stupid by hiding everything from her family - it barely made sense in her own mind - but she also knew that if she were to tell her family, or servants _anything, _there was a possible chance they would seek help from other nobles or throw themselves into the danger as well.

But how could they help when even she herself didn't know what they were dealing with? How could they help when she didn't even know who was after her?

She knew she was being hunted, by _why? _

What did she _see _that day?

Lucy let a tear slip from her eye, followed by another, and another, and a few more.

She was scared. She was scared she was going to lose her life. Lucy didn't want to be the cause of her parents depression and whatever may follow if she died. She didn't want to end the Heartfilia line because she was killed trying to hide. Though her life wasn't a very good one, she still valued it, _cherished _it! She had made friends with her servants, made her father proud, watched her mother knock on Death's door and live, found a possible suitor who had mysteriously disappeared four years ago! She had done a _lot_ in her short lifespan of eighteen years!

She didn't want it to end so soon!

Lucy flopped onto her silk sheets and tangled herself in the comforter, her face pressing into the pillow to muffle her cries. Her hair fell loose from the ponytail due to her movements and sat on the back of her neck.

She didn't want it to end so soon...

* * *

Mira sipped gingerly on her tea with a smile as she sat in one of his office chairs. He really should try putting some of these types of chairs at some of the tables. Maybe then, Macao and Wakaba would stop complaining about having bad backs. It wasn't her fault they were getting a bit aged.

Mira giggled lightly, hiding her smile behind the rim of the glass. She really loved the guild. Everyone really cared for one another, and it made her heart swell with pride and happiness. It felt _right_ to be in Fairy Tail. As soon as she and her siblings arrived, everyone welcomed them with open arms, wide smiles, and empty mugs of beer - not that she minded. Fairy Tail had an air that said 'freedom' and 'family'. It felt nice and Mira felt more at home here than her old home. There, she felt detached when Jose moved in, making her miss the times when it was her father who was holding her mother's hand. Mira sighed.

"Mira-chan!" a loud voice called. The barmaid shook her head and smiled at the small - literally small, poor guy was no larger than 3 feet - old man that kicked open the door. His gray hair was thinning - she refused to say balding, made that mistake once - and stuck out in random places. Even though he was aging poorly, Mira saw that he felt as young as he could be. He held himself straight and never wobbled - except when drunk. His eyes were always alight with adoration for his guild, pride for his workers, and mischievousness for whatever he could get his hands on. Despite his very lay back character, he was always serious when the time came.

Such as now.

"Hello Master Makarov," the sweet woman greeted taking another sip of tea. This was good tea, she'd have to remember the recipe.

"Judging by your note, the request is something serious." The old man raised a gray eyebrow.

"How did you know?"

"You sent a note. Usually requests can wait until the morning when you tell me in person." Mira giggled. He was so observant when he wanted to be.

She grabbed the spoon on the table and started stirring her tea, even though she didn't add anything. "You always play the inattentive one, but then you turn out to be the observer. Very secretive and dare I say amazing?"

"Mira-chan, is that a compliment?"

"Why I think that is." The two shared a laugh as Makarov walked around and sat at his desk. He took one glance at the note before putting it down on the inexpensive wood and looking at the tea sipping woman.

"So what is the assignment, Mira-chan?" he asked. She was oddly silent for a moment, and Makarov felt that it was something serious.

"Master... Our client is Lucy Heartfilia."

Silence, and if one had a knife, they could easily cut the tension that was hanging in the air. Mira held a tight grip on her cup and Makarov was staring at wall, both deep in thought.

"And how do you know this?"

"She told me her first name."

"And not the family?"

"No."

"So how do you know she's a Heartfilia?"

"She looks exactly like Lady Layla," Mira whispered. "I saw her. Once. She was just passing through the crowd one day. Lady Layla had hair as yellow as the sun during the day. Her eyes were big and... brown, a pretty brown." Mira wore a soft smile, dazed. "Oh she was beautiful. Really, really pretty. Did you know I was only fifteen when I saw her? Ten years have passed since then and I bet she doesn't look any different. Lady Lucy looks just like her now. If you saw the two together, I bet you'd come to the same conclusion." Mira took a sip of her tea, that smile still on her face. She didn't know when it happened, but she found herself admiring Layla Heartfilia. Maybe it was the official way she walked? Maybe it was the elegant way she talked. Or maybe it was because she helped her siblings to some food when she didn't have enough money to buy some. _That_ she remembered as clear as day.

Makarov nodded his head in understanding and balled up the note, throwing it towards the trash bin and missed. He glared at the object before facing the giggling Mira. "Bah! So what did this noble child request of us?"

Oh, how could she say this without sounding desperate to help? Mira's grip on the cup tightened as her thick lashes lowered in sadness. "She fears she is going to be killed. She wants protection Master."

He offered no response causing her gaze to stray towards his figure. His hands clasped under his chin and his eyes closed, the image stated he was deep in thought. Mira sighed, her eyes clouding in sadness. "Master-"

"You know we can't help her," he interjected, causing tears to fill her blue eyes.

"We can try. Please, she really needs our help-"

"A lot of other people need our help too, Mira-chan, _commoners_. She's a noble, it'll make her look bad."

"She said she doesn't care-"

"Has she no shame? She'll tarnish her family's name by seeking help from a commoners guild!"

_"You destroyed your family. Because of your selfishness, you ruined the one thing you were being selfish **for**. Therefore, you have no right to stand in front of me, demanding your wants! How do you know that you won't ruin that as well? You have no idea what I had to do in order to get to this place, and I'll be damned if I'll let you soil that too." He looked at the the small old man with utter disgust, hatred. "Leave before I have you_ _executed."_

"You speak of her as if she's a nice girl. Do you really want her to suffer as I did?"

"Master..." A few tears escaped from Mira's eyes as she stared at his balled fist and angered face. He had told her his past when she first started working there. Everybody at Fairy Tail knew his story, but they only knew pieces, fragments. Over the years, she has heard some crazy stories. Some far from the truth, and some dangerously close to it. But only she knew the real thing. She knew the tale from start to finish, including the small details. It was something she never imagined happening to such a cheerful man like him.

But just because his past affected him in the worst way possible did not mean he could deny help to a noble. If anything, he should want to help her _more_ to avoid another incident! With renewed strength, Mira swiped the tears from her eyes and walked over to the sulking man. "Master."

"Mira-chan, please send a letter denying the request."

"We're not denying it," she responded firmly. It had Makarov blinking in shock.

"Excuse me-"

"This girl needs our help. She fears for her life, fears that she will be killed at any moment. Don't you think that would hurt the family more than some tainted title?"

Makarov looked down at his clasped hands. The demon-lady had a point, but he would rather avoid a scandal between Fairy Tail and some nobles. It took him years to make Fairy Tail as well known as it is at the moment, and he'd be damned if some person ruined it with one snap of their fingers. This was his home, his sanctuary, the one place where he wasn't judged, and he wasn't going to lose it so easily.

Slamming her empty teacup on the desk, Mira glared at Makarov. "I understand what's at stake here, and I don't want to bet everything on it either. But I really feel like we should help this girl. She sounded so desperate for help when she talked to me. Master... Please," the woman begged. Makarov remained unmoving, his eyes expressionless, his mouth in a firm scowl. "Please."

Makarov shook his head and hopped off of the chair, his feet moving towards the door. Once he was standing in the door frame, he tilted his head to look back at his most cherished worker. "Please send a letter denying the request."

And as he shut the door, he walked away from Mirajane's muffled sobs.

* * *

_Well how was that? Good? Bad? Meh? Let me know in a review._

_Oh! And for those wonderful people out there who have tumblrs, how about following me. o0Virgo0o I would really appreciate it. All the chapters will be posted on there, as well as random oneshots of many different pairings. I would really appreciate your support!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Happy Fourth of July my Fairy Tail friends! I had originally wanted to update this earlier but then I was like, "fourth of July is Friday... they can wait." And you did! So thank you!  
_

_I want to say I got my first bad (?) review, but I don't really count it as bad. Despite what my sign says (as a Virgo, it says I'm sensitive to criticism, but I'm not like that at all) I found the review to be encouraging! So thank you** varee**. I'm glad you told me how you really feel! _

_Without further adieu, here is the third chapter!_

* * *

**_o0 Fragments 0o_**

**_o0 Chapter Three: Spilling the Beans 0o_**

**_Written By:_****_ o0Virgo0o_**

* * *

The wood he was sitting on started to hurt his bottom. The railing was also old, and Makarov was glad he was so tiny that he wouldn't break it. He'd have to have Laxus or Gajeel repair it with iron or steel or something of the sort. Makarov lightly bounced on it, hearing its creak of protest.

Yeah, some metal would be nice.

"You know, bouncing on the railing will break it," a voice said, making Makarov stop his childish bouncing. "On second thought, do it. I'd love to see you fall all the way from here and onto Mira's bar." A deep chuckle. "Damn, the look on her face would be priceless."

Makarov let out his own little laugh. "Yeah it would, but I'm not willing to have a broken hip just for a look."

"It doesn't have to be the hip! It could be the leg, or maybe the arm?"

"A rib would be nice."

"How about your collarbone?"

"That sounds like it'll hurt the worst- let's not talk about what I'll injure if I fall!" Makarov shouted, making his comrade laugh, a booming sound that echoed around the guild. The old man shook his head as a small chuckle rumbled in his chest. Turning his head, he looked at his friend with a smile. "Why don't you fall down there, Igneel? See what _you_ break."

Igneel shook his head, his reddish-orange hair brushing along his forehead. "My friend, I don't think I'd break as much. I'm not as old, and therefore, as fragile as you."

"You're just a few years younger than me! If anything, you'd break _more _because you're bigger than I am."

"That's true," Igneel laughed.

The two sat in silence, staring down at the lively guild below them. A table was thrown, chairs were being broken and people were cheering as an all-out brawl was started between a two energetic young boys. Igneel shook his head as Makarov grinned.

"Your son is very active," the small man said.

"A little too active," the taller man sighed. "I can barely keep up with his energy anymore. I'm getting too old for this."

"Ha! You admit you're getting old!"

"I never denied it. Just mentioned that I'm not as old as you."

The men shared another laugh before falling silent once more, the shouts of the residents sweeping over them. Despite the guild always being loud, nobody would have it any other way. It's what made Fairy Tail unique, and the old men were proud of it.

Igneel slanted a gaze towards his old friend. He knew that Makarov was pondering something, but he didn't know what. Sure the man always smiled when looking down at his 'children', but his lips were pursed behind his mustache. He only ever sported hardened eyes and a scowl when he was thinking of something intense.

Sighing, Igneel dug in his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper, throwing it on Makarov's lap. "Talk to me."

Makarov looked down at the slip and closed his eyes, balling it up and shoving it in his own pocket. "How did you get it?"

"You don't pick up your shit," he answered. "What did Mira tell you?"

"It's not important anyway. I declined the request."

Igneel furrowed his eyebrows, a frown marring his face. "Odd. You never say no to someone in need."

"Well I did this time."

The redhead turned around and rested on the railing, not putting much pressure on it. The last thing he needed to do was break the wood and go tumbling to the floor. "You didn't discuss it with me before you did though. Last time I checked, I owned one half of this guild and you own the other."

Makarov turned his head away. "If I talked to you about it, you would have approved it without hesitation."

"Well can you at least tell me what the request was? You owe me that much for stabbing me in the back with your secrets."

The small elder flinched. He didn't think Igneel would go there, but he knew that he was at fault. It's been a week since Mira told him about the request and he was sure Lucy Heartfilia had received the letter by now. He briefly wondered how she took the news, because from what Mira told him, she was extremely desperate.

He sighed and turned to look at his partner. Igneel was staring right at him with calculating eyes, and Makarov tilted his head towards his office. Both men pushed themselves off of the old railing, wincing at the creak it emitted, and started their way towards the room.

Igneel shut the door behind him as Makarov went straight to his desk. As the guild Master beckoned the other man to take a seat, which he politely declined, they shared a glass of beer for a loosening effect. Both knew that the news was going to be important and they knew they were probably going to end up shouting at each other. Why not be intoxicated at the same time?

After drinking many glasses of the alcohol, Makarov finally cleared his throat.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

Makarov sighed. Like _that _would be easy.

"Ah, where to start?" he asked himself, spinning around in his chair. "I guess the best place is when I found the note on my desk after another celebration for whatever was happening. Or maybe it was just another party, I can't remember. Anyway, Mira-chan told me that uh... Ah... A noble had visited us, requesting that she be protected for fear that her life may be taken from her."

Makarov slid his eyes towards Igneel's figure to gauge his reaction. The youngest elder nodded his head to show that he was still listening and Makarov continued. "I told Mira-chan to send a letter stating that we would not accept her request-" At this, Igneel took a sharp breath. Master or not, no one ever said no to Mira.

"How'd she take it?" the redhead asked.

"The client or Mira-chan?"

"Both."

"Well Mira-chan took it pretty hard. She almost made me accept the request right then and there with her tears. The client... I have no idea. I haven't heard a word since Mira-chan sent the letter." Makarov swirled his drink around in his cup, the ice clinking against the glass. He stared at it thoughtfully as Igneel stared at him.

"Who was it that requested the job?" he asked, taking a swig of his beverage.

"Lucy Heartfilia."

Igneel spit out his drink all over the arm of the chair, sputtering. Makarov looked at him, a tad sheepishly he might add, as Igneel coughed and pounded on his chest.

"Lucy Heartfilia?!" he asked incredulously.

"Yep."

"The daughter of Jude Heartfilia?!"

"Oh yeah."

"The miracle baby?!"

"Mmhmm."

Igneel leaned back in the chair with an astonished look on his face, taking a drink of his beer numbly. Lucy Heartfilia... A noble of that status had come to _their_ guild for help, for protection? Why?

"Who exactly is after that woman?" he asked.

Makarov shrugged, finishing off his drink and placing the empty glass on his desk. "That's the thing Igneel. She doesn't know."

The redhead furrowed his red eyebrows. "What do you mean? Are a lot of people after her or something?"

"Yes... Or no... I don't know, Mira-chan doesn't know, and she doesn't know. The girl has _no recollection_ of who's after her or the reason why. We have _nothing_ to start helping her."

Igneel stared down at his glass. If she didn't know who was looking for her and why, then how did she know someone was after her?

"Suspicious right?" Makarov asked, making Igneel briefly wonder how he did that. "Mira-chan told me everything a few days ago."

_"Lucy came by again today," the barmaid said, setting the now clean glass on the shelf. She threw down her rag and placed both hands on the bar, pinning the Master down with her blue eyes. "Before, she told me of some incidents that led her to **think **someone was after her. Lucy said that she didn't know for certain if she was being hunted because, for some reason, she **forgot** why. When she came by, she told me she knows, for sure now, that someone is after her."_

_"Too bad. We can't help her," the elder said, closing his eyes as a headache formed. He really didn't want to go over this again, for he already gave his response._

_"She saw a figure outside her window the other day," she pressed on. "The day after she came to us for help. She told me when they saw her looking, they ran their **thumb** across their **neck.** Don't you dare tell me that we aren't going to help her now!"_

_"We aren't."_

_"Master!"_

_"It hurts me to push away a person in need, Mira-chan!" he bellowed, making Mira jump and press a hand to her chest. "I want to help the poor girl, I really do, but I can't because it's unsafe! She needs to go to someone that is of her status!"_

_"Don't tell me that you are still trying to protect her position?!" Mira asked, her voice rising in volume. "Usually nobles care about that, but she doesn't! She came to us for help because she needed it. Master, if she wanted to protect her title, she would've went to a nobles guild. When she came to me in tears, she knew whose help she was asking for, and she didn't care." Mira swiped a tear from her eye and pretended it wasn't there to begin with. "Would you really be willing to carry the burden of knowing that we could've helped someone before they died? Are you willing to struggle with that guilt?"_

_Makarov pushed himself away from the bar table __and hopped off the stool. Mira watched him with tear-rimmed eyes and a fist pressed against her heart as he stormed away._

"Well that clears things up," Igneel said. Running a hand through his red locks, he let out a sigh. "So, you want to tell me why you don't want to help her?"

"Igneel, you of all people know why I can't," Makarov said, his tone exasperated. The eldest elder closed his eyes and put his head in his hands. "You were there when _it_ happened. You've helped me through that time and you've helped me build Fairy Tail from nothing. I don't want it to go back to just that." If Igneel hadn't been just a tad tipsy, he would've heard Makarov's voice crack.

The men dropped into a pregnant silence. Both replaying the conversation in their minds. It was a tense one, and neither of them could remember when they last had a conversation this stressful. They felt like they had aged a few more years despite their energetic disposition.

"You can't, but I can," Igneel said, finishing off his beer and setting the empty cup on the arm of the chair. Makarov lifted his head to stare at him with a confused expression, to which Igneel grinned at. "Friend, I know not being able to help someone is tearing you up on the inside-"

"It is."

"-but you're being an idiot by linking this to your past."

Makarov slapped his forehead as Igneel stood up. "I can understand you don't want to lose Fairy Tail because of some stupid scandal that may occur between nobles and commoners, but did you ever think that maybe if we succeed, it could benefit us?"

Makarov made a face showing that he didn't.

"Exactly. If we succeeded at helping _the_ Lucy Heartfilia, well I'm sure we'll be known all around Fiore. Our guild will be famous for something more positive than all-out fights and drunkards. Now I know you are nothing like your grandson by wanting to live at the top, especially all that you went through to get him stable like now, but even you have to admit that being well-known on a good perspective will make your chest swell with pride," Igneel explained, grinning like a fool. "Think of how happy it will make everyone, and we all know that you love to see our members happy."

Makarov looked flustered, whether it was from being observed or the alcohol, neither knew nor cared. Igneel was getting his point across and slowly making the man give in. The youngest elder walked over to Makarov's desk, putting his palms on the wood.

"Come on. We need new members in this guild, and better requests. This is a great opportunity to really make things exciting, and Heaven knows we need some excitement."

"And who would we have watching her?"

"You leave that to me."

"And what if something happens?"

"Also leave that to me. Are you going to accept the job?"

Makarov sighed and grabbed his empty glass, hopping off of his chair to walk towards the door. He stopped at the door frame, his small figure standing tall as the guild lights shone on his person.

"I sure hope you know what the hell you're doing."

* * *

_"So, we've chatted for quite a bit and you have yet to tell me how you know you're being pursued," Mira said, filling both of their teacups with steaming tea. Lucy mentally noted that the cups looked expensive. Intricate looking vines wrapped around the ceramic piece wildly, giving it an almost ominous design. She found it beautiful its own creepy way. The blonde stroked a vine as Mira continued, "You said you were going to be killed?"  
_

_"Yes," Lucy said, taking a sip of her tea. "However... I don't know why."_

_This caused the barmaid to raise a finely arched eyebrow. "You don't?" The noble shook her head. "Is it about territory maybe?"_

_"No, if that were the case, wouldn't they go after my parents?"_

_"Getting rid of the heir I suppose? Ending your family's line?"_

_"I'm pretty sure I have cousins scattered about somewhere. The line would pass onto one of them I suppose."_

_Mira stayed quiet, her chin resting in her hand. "Maybe you saw something you shouldn't have?"_

_Lucy didn't respond, continuing to twist and knot her fingers in the black cloak she adorned nervously. That might be the case actually, though she wished she could remember what it was. "Maybe... I remember leaving the house one night with my servant. He's a bit of a... womanizer and constantly tries making passes at me, even though he knows it's forbidden between us." At this, the blonde cracked a smile with a light giggle, making Mira grin. "We stopped by a flower shop for some reason. Beautiful place that was, it smelled divine, and Lo- my servant had wandered off somewhere." Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to recall the events, which were slowly becoming fuzzy. "I... I think I went outside for some air, the smells were giving me a headache, and waited for a bit."  
_

_Mira waited patiently as Lucy pressed a hand to her forehead, smacking it lightly as if she could beat the memory to the surface. "I saw... something - or someone - walking deep into an alley. It looked suspicious, so I followed it." She clenched her eyes shut as she tried desperately to grasp the rest of the story, but she couldn't remember what happened afterwards, no matter how hard she tried. Lucy let out a shaky sigh and Mira reached over and grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry. I can't remember anything else. Though I do remember waking up in my bed, wearing a shredded dress with my servant looking over me, worry clearly evident in his eyes."_

_Lucy smiled apologetically as she folded her hands in her lap. "I guess I'm not a very good story teller. I hardly gave you anything."_

_"That's alright," Mira said, a smile plastered onto her face. "Clearly whatever you saw or went through was so bad your brain chose to block it out. You forgot because your subconscious doesn't want you to remember. Not exactly common, but it **is** possible."_

_Lucy nodded as she reached over and took another sip of her tea. "Clearly. I know this happened about two or three weeks ago. Since then, there have been... failed attempts." Mira's eyes widened. "About a few days after the incident, I was sleeping in my bed when I felt a pressure on my face and I couldn't breathe. When I tried to push it away, it wouldn't budge. Somehow I manage to completely throw him off of me and onto the floor. I screamed and he decided to bolt, figuring that one of my servants would catch him. I haven't seen him since then, but I need protection. Just in case."  
_

Mira sat staring outside of the window, her chin cupped in her palm, as she recalled the day when Lucy first introduced herself. That girl has been on her mind constantly for a week, and if Mira was in her right mind, she would've joked about it being love. But obviously it wasn't, and the situation was not something to be taken lightly.

Mira sighed as her heart clenched for the girl. It made her feel all types of guilty knowing that she couldn't help the blonde. Heck, she hadn't even sent the rejecting letter. Poor Lucy was probably waiting anxiously for their word, twisting her fingers together as she sat on her bed. Mira shook her head to rid herself of the sad image. She didn't feel like crying today.

"Mira-nee?" a soft voice said hesitantly, and Mira whirled around to face her sister's worried gaze. She smiled reassuringly.

"Yes? Is something the matter? Are you hungry? I haven't gotten started on dinner yet have I? Oh dear, look at me. I'm slacking," the long-haired woman said, standing up and shuffling around the house and towards the kitchen.

Lisanna watched with melancholic eyes as her sister bounced around the small room, grabbing spices and whatever she could get her hands on. She'd been like that for the past several days, always busying herself to avoid thinking about whatever has got her down. Mira has cooked too much food, the pictures on the wall have been straightened as dozen times, and the house has been cleaned to perfection. It almost creeped Lisanna out to see herself on practically every surface for how shiny it was.

For example, the table. The wood was not meant to reflect light or anything else, but Mira had polished it to where she could clearly see the pimples on her face, or the places where a small strand of her hair would poke out.

Screw mirrors! The counter top would be a much better choice!

Stomping over to her sister's form, she snatched the spoon for her hand and slammed it on the counter, ruining the shiny image. Mira stared at the dirtied surface as it was a tragic sight. Wide eyes and mouth open, she dropped to her knees, wailing, "My counter top!"

"You can scrub it later!" Lisanna said, pulling her sister to a standing position, leaning her against the wall. "Tell me what's wrong!"

Mira blinked innocently. "What's wrong?"

"With you! You've been acting weird these past few days. I'm worried!"

"How do you know something's wrong? I could be really sick."

"No one who is sick would clean until they collapse! You've done that... four times now I think!"

Mira opened her mouth to say something, but frowned because she didn't have anything to retort. It was true. She did clean until she was passed out on the floor, scrub brush in hand. When Lisanna and Elfman had found her like that, they demanded to know what was wrong, but Mira brushed it away and asked what they wanted for dinner. It continued like that for the next few days until Lisanna was tired of it and confronted her, which led them to their current position.

Mira smiled reassuringly, patted her sister's head and grabbed the discarded spoon. "How does beef stew sound for dinner tonight?"

Lisanna groaned and grabbed the barmaid's wrist, dragging her over to the chair and - gently - shoving her in it. When Mira opened her mouth to protest, Lisanna loudly shushed her, causing a giggle to erupt.

Taking a seat across from her, Lisanna folded her hands over her lap. "Now, tell me."

"I don't know what to say. There's nothing wrong, really."

"Mira-nee, please don't lie to me. You've been acting weirdly ever since you saw that person at the guild."

"Well Laxus always has a way of dimming my mood-"

"I wasn't talking about Laxus!" Lisanna sighed, and grabbed her sister's hand. "That weird person in the cloak. They came by two days straight and you've talked to them both times!" With a lowered lashes, the short-haired girl gave Mira's hand a squeeze. "I'm worried. Did that person do something to you? Say something that offended you? Don't listen to them! You're perfect the way you are!"

Mira laughed and swiped the tears from her eyes at her sister's concern. "It's nothing like that Lisanna. I'm proud of how I grew up, so you don't have to worry about my confidence lowering." Another giggle slipped free and it had the youngest Strauss grinning lightly. "But my mood does have something to do with the cloaked person, but I'm not sure I should disclose any information..."

"Aw sis! Don't leave me hanging like that!" Lisanna whined, flailing lightly, making Mira giggle once more.

"You sound just like Cana."

"I'm different though! This isn't a... lewd subject I'm prying into."

"Oh?" Mira grinned. "And how do you know that?"

Lisanna squeaked and covered her blushing face as the eldest sibling laughed at her innocence. It has been a while since she felt so carefree, and it felt amazing. Mira felt her shoulders relax for the first time in a week as she slouched on the cheap chair, listening to her sister's incoherent mumbles.

"Don't worry, it isn't anything dirty." The youngest sibling sighed in relief, pressing a hand to her racing heart and fanning her blushing face at the reassuring words. "But really, I don't know if I should tell..."

"Who am I possibly going to tell Mira-nee? I don't spread secrets, you know this. And it's also bad to keep your feelings bottled up like that. Something is on your mind, and it's distracting you. You need to talk to someone about your feelings before you lash out on an innocent person."

At the mention of lashing out, Mira winced as she remembered the incident with Jose. She had changed to avoid that happening again, and keeping her feelings bottled up were not helping her case. She hid her emotions last time, and it resulted in her and her siblings losing their status.

Maybe she could let go... Just this once.

The words came tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop herself. She found herself blubbering everything about the client, how Lucy had no memory of what happened to her and how she knew was going to killed, how Master had told her to send a letter saying 'no' - which she still had yet to do - and her feelings. Lisanna stayed quiet throughout the whole thing, absorbing every piece of information she could grasp.

Her sister carried all of this information on her shoulders? For a whole week? If it was her, Lisanna would've said something to someone as soon as the client had left, and that showed how much stronger her sister was than herself.

Strong...

Lisanna sprung up with an idea and darted over to her cloak. She tossed it over her shoulders, and shouted up the stairs, telling Elfman to watch the house and to protect Mira-nee, who was wiping away her tears with a confused expression directed towards her sister.

"I'll be back!" the short-haired girl shouted at her sister, dipping out of the house and into the rain.

She ran down the streets as if someone was chasing her, running into peasants - thankfully no nobles - as she made her way towards the one house. The cool rain pelted against her heated skin, panting as she slowed her pace. Lisanna berated herself for not working out like her friends kept telling her to. Sure, she was confident about her curvacious figure, but she also needed to start building up her stamina for moments like this.

She smiled as she reached her destination, stalking up to the door and pounding on it furiously. The door swung open and revealed a tall figure grinning down at her, and Lisanna couldn't help grinning back.

"Igneel! Just the person I wanted to see. Is Natsu around?"

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

_Finally throwing Igneel into the picture with a pinch of Natsu. Patience people, our favorite protagonist will make a full appearance next chapter. Thank God, I know. After four long chapters of just building, we finally get to see him. I miss the little hyperactive male, and I'm writing the story! _

_Lot of flashbacks in this chapter, I know, but at least you know what Lucy and Mira discussed. How sad is it that she doesn't remember what happened? It also drags out the suspense, and I love me some suspense stew!_

_Thank you for reading and please leave a review if you will!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Between both the recent chapter and new episode of Fairy Tail, I found out that I could only take two heartbreaks a day. I wanted to update yesterday since this chapter was already typed, but I was too busy swimming in my own tears. But alas, the chapter is up today, and our pink-haired protagonist finally gets his debut! Please enjoy the chapter!  
_

* * *

**_o0 Fragments 0o_**

**_o0 Chapter Four: Who are You? 0o_**

**_Written By:_****_o0Virgo0o_**

* * *

Her heels clicked along the floor as she made her way to the study. Her lime green skirts swayed as she took quick steps. Glancing behind her, Lucy made sure no one was following her, especially Loki. He made things harder than they should've been when she was trying to be secretive.

A week and three days have passed with no word from Fairy Tail. Odd, for Mira-san had told her she would get her request approved. She had even visited a few days after she made the request! Lucy was getting desperate!

She had taken to confining herself in her room for safe measures. Lucy refused to leave the house for anything. No matter how much her father and mother rushed her, she did not wander. Of course the one time she was trying to keep safe, her father wanted to arrange several meetings with potential suitors. Lucy's shoulders slouched at the thought.

Of course her mother wanted her to find her own love, but even the older woman had to admit that they needed to expand their business and acquire more money. If there was another way, Layla would've taken it, but they needed the opportunity.

Grabbing her elbows, Lucy thought back to the man she met when she was fourteen because that was one fellow she would never forget. Not only did he have dashing good looks, he was completely inappropriate and rude. He always wore a scowl and looked like he hated his place on the social ladder, and Lucy immediately felt attracted to him because they could relate. She hated arranged marriages, he hated arranged marriages. She hated her silk dresses, he hated his tight suits. She hated acting proper, he didn't act proper enough. It was like they were meant for each other.

Then he had to go on and disappear.

"Well, not 'disappear' per se," Lucy muttered to herself, lifting her skirts a tad as she made her way down a flight of stairs. "He ran away two years later just as the marriage arrangement looked final." She scowled to herself as she thought back to that day. Not only had her father thrown a fit when he heard the news, but she was also peeved. It wasn't like she wanted to marry him - she didn't love that fool - but she would rather marry someone she got along with rather than someone who only wanted her money.

"Miss Lucy, why is there such a scary expression on your face?" a voice said, and the blonde looked up to see that she had already made it to the study. Lucy smiled brightly at her old history teacher.

"Crux!" she exclaimed, casually wandering over to her collection of books. "I need help with something."

The old book keeper tilted his head and twirled his mustache, an old habit he gained when working with his brother, who happened to be the father of all Miss Lucy's servants. "Is that so? What do you need help with?"

She had to choose her words wisely to avoid suspicion. But how does one phrase a question without seeming like it was about them? "Just out of curiosity, how many guilds are nearby?"

"And odd question. Is there a reason you would like to know?"

So much for avoiding suspicion. Lucy shook her head as her slim finger traced down the spine of a book. "No reason. As I said before, I'm just curious."

"Hn..." Crux lightly pulled his facial hair as he searched his memory. There were many guilds in the area, but they were commoners guilds and he was sure she didn't want to know about those. The old man's eyelids slowly drooped as his head lolled to the side. Lucy smiled as she watched the geezer, who now had a snot bubble forming in his nose. This was his way of finding informa-

"AHH!" he screamed, jerking awake. Lucy giggled, not even flinching at his antics. By now, she was already used to his random screams and his strange habit of falling asleep while thinking. Crux wiped his nose, apologized and smiled at the blonde haired noble. "Nearby noble guilds would be Blue Pegasus, Mermaid Heel, Lamia Scale and Sabertooth. Mermaid Heel is an all females guild. Lamia Scale is quite loud, but reliable. Blue Pegasus smells divine due to a man named Ichiya's 'parfume', and Sabertooth is quite classy and strong," Crux explained, yanking at his mustache. Lucy nodded and continued to run her fingers along the books idly.

"And uh... Where would Sabertooth be located?" He did mention they were the strongest, and Heaven knows Lucy needed strong.

"So many questions for someone who is 'just curious'," Crux muttered to himself, making the woman tense. He walked over to the large map of Fiore that rested on the furthest wall, Lucy right on his heels. He took his wrinkly finger and pointed to a big red dot. "We are here." He circled it for emphasis. "Sabertooth is here." He pointed to a picture not that far from the dot. Lucy nodded her head and smiled towards Crux.

"Thanks!" she said, making her way towards the door.

"Oh! Miss Lucy!" Said woman stopped and looked back at her mentor. "Leo said you were acting weirdly sometime last week. Now I don't know what the problem is, but you are welcome to come to me if you need help." Lucy's eyes softened at Crux's words, her head turning to face forward.

"I appreciate your concern, but everything is completely fine!" she assured the old man. "Loke must have something wrong with his eyes if he thought something was wrong." She turned to him with a smile on her face, hoping it looked as real as it felt. "Please don't worry about me. I'm alright!"

"It's my job to worry about you Miss Lucy," Crux said, a large frown on his wrinkled face.

"Well then I guess I need to give you a new position then! How about reading some books and writing down some I would like?" she said, turning around in a swish of skirts as she started her way down the elegant hall.

The old man just watched her leave with a concerned expression. She was always one to make sure she could pull her own weight when the time came. Apparently, this was one of those times, and Crux shook his head as he made his way over to the bookshelves.

Now what would Miss Lucy like?

* * *

Lucy tugged at her periwinkle dress as she looked at the map she carried while walking along the streets. While Crux was sleeping last night, Lucy had taken that chance to sneak out of her room and sprint to the study. One thing she hated when that man slept was because she never knew when he was sleeping or remembering information. When she was a youngster, she would often try to draw a fake mustache over the real mustache when he was resting.

However at that time, she didn't know he was researching.

He screamed in her face and she screamed in his, causing him to scream again out of shock. She remembered her parents bursting in the room with weapons ready. Crux had never looked so terrified than he did in that moment when her father had threatened to fire him for scaring her.

Lucy giggled at the memory as she made a left turn. She had been walking for about fifteen minutes and her legs were starting to hurt. Just where was Sabertooth anyway? On the map it didn't look far at all, but when she started walking, it was like it was on the other side of Fiore!

She couldn't really complain though since it was a nobles guild, which tended to be far away from the peasants and commoners as humanly possible. Love and Lucky was quite a distance away as well, but she was always in a carriage with her parents or servants when they traveled there. This time she was on foot and alone! Perhaps she could've taken her dog, Plue, with her to feel less lonely. Lucy sighed, pushing an escaped tendril from her bun behind her ear.

A few minutes later, Lucy found herself standing in front of the stairs leading to the guild she spent so much time walking to. It was a very large guild and - dare she say - _bigger_ than Fairy Tail. It's elegant exterior beckoned her to take a step inside and the flag that fluttered above the door gave her a sense of courage and welcoming. Lucy smiled brightly, pushing the heavy door open slowly.

She almost cried at the classy appearance that slammed into her vision. Tables and chairs of various sizes and plushness were placed neatly along the walls. Tea tables rested in the middle of the entire area and nobles dressed in many different fabrics sat on the velvet couches chatting softly, idly. Everyone seemed to be getting along nicely, and for the first time since she went to Fairy Tail, she felt welcomed.

She felt like she belonged.

Lucy allowed her brown eyes to scan the area for the guild master. Walking further inside, she gazed upon the top floor, seeing a bulky man sitting on some type of throne. She smiled brightly, thinking that the man up there must be the owner.

It felt good to walk around the area without a cloak blocking her vision, and it felt even _better_ to not worry about a potential status scandal.

"Excuse me," a soft voice said from behind the blonde. Lucy turned her body to face the person with a smile.

With short, white hair framing her face and big, brown eyes filling her face, Yukino Aguria blinked at the visitor. She smiled at the blonde and extended her hand, which Lucy shook eagerly. "I don't believe you are a regular here," Yukino said, withdrawing her hand and placing it on the teacup she held.

"No, I'm not actually," Lucy said, glancing back at the guild master's throne. "I'm Lucy-"

"Lucy Heartfilia, I know," the white-haired girl said. "The Miracle Baby if I'm correct." Lucy blushed at the recognition, making Yukino giggle. "I'm Yukino Aguria. Pleased to meet you."

"Yeah." Lucy smiled. It was bright enough to light the dimmed room.

"So is there a reason you are here? You don't look like you want to chat. A request perhaps?"

"Ah... Well you see-"

Her body stiffened when she felt eyes glaring at her form. It felt like knives were digging into her back, pricking at her delicate spine. The paper that held directions to get to Sabertooth crushed in her hands as her body went rim-rod straight. Vaguely she heard Yukino calling out her name, but she couldn't respond.

Lucy slowly turned her head to the upper level of the guild.

There, leaning on the metal railing, was a woman glaring at her.

When their eyes locked, brown clashing with green, Lucy shivered and the woman smiled.

Her heart raced as her body started trembling uncontrollably, fear evident in her eyes.

"Lucy-sama?" Yukino called out, concern spilling into her tone.

Why was she feeling this way? Scared and nervous? Lucy didn't know that woman, but the way she smirked at her made her bones rattle, like she knew something the blonde didn't.

"Lucy-sama?" Yukino called again, tapping the shaking woman on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm sorry to cut this conversation short, Yukino," Lucy said, her voice quivering. She plastered a wavering smile on her face as she gave a quick nod of her head. "But I'm afraid there's somewhere I-I have to be. If you'll excuse me."

The blonde pushed past the white-haired girl and bolted out of the guild as fast as her shoes would let her, almost tripping down the stairs.

Even a mile away, she still felt the coldness of the mystery woman's glare on her shoulders. Lucy didn't even pay attention to her surroundings like she did on her way there. If she bumped into someone, she didn't feel it, for all she could feel was the pounding of her sweet heart. If someone called her name, she couldn't hear it, only hearing the blood rushing in her ears. She only saw straight ahead in her tunneled vision.

Something tugged on her hair, yanking her head back, stopping her movements and causing her to cry out in pain. Lucy's eyes shut tightly as she brought her hand up to rip the fingers out of her hair.

"Oi calm down!" a deep voice said exclaimed when she clawed at the hand in her hair. Surprisingly, the grip loosened easily and Lucy spun around to face her hair-grabber, the bun falling loose causing her blonde hair to drape over her shoulder.

"Lucy-Kick!" she shouted, bringing her leg up and kicking the man in the ribs. He grunted in pain as he slammed into the building next to him and Lucy started backing away slowly, dipping into a defensive position.

"Damn... For a girl who isn't supposed to know how to fight, you kick really hard," the boy groaned, regaining his footing. Lucy's eyes hardened as she stared at him, her guard not letting up.

"Tell me who you are!" she shouted, gaining curious stares. The boy grinned a toothy grin, his canines glinting the sunlight.

"Natsu Dragneel at your service!" he said.

"Natsu? What a weird name." Lucy took this time to observe his appearance. He sported typical commoners clothing - a black shirt, brown trousers, and scuffed shoes. His eyes were like burning coals, but what really caught her attention was the messy mop of rosy pink hair that sat atop his head. Was it real or did he change his hair color? Lucy was suddenly very curious about his odd style.

"Weird? You're the weird one! Running down the streets like your being chased by air," Natsu retorted, crossing his arms and pouting. The blonde had to choke back the giggle threatening to bubble up. She was supposed to look intimidating, not amused.

Lucy cleared her throat, her stance still strong, and she slowly started to inch closer to the Natsu fellow.

"Who are you really and what do you want from me?" she asked, her voice dipping low, menacingly.

Natsu scratched his head. "I just told you who I was, didn't I? Jeez, for a noble, you really are kind of stupid, Luigi."

"It's. Lucy," the blonde growled, suddenly stiffening. "How do you know who I am?"

"Hm? Oh, Igneel and Lisanna told me what you look like and who you were. She said something about a 'high paying job' and 'noble protection'. She's weird too." Natsu said it so casually, looking off to the side as he did it. He didn't notice the sudden drop in Lucy's stance as she looked at the ground.

Lisanna... If she could remember correctly, that was Mira's little sister.

Mira... She decided to help her?

Lucy covered her mouth as she looked up to Natsu's confused face. His head tilted as he noticed her teary eyes and he immediately started to panic. Was she going to cry?! He wasn't good with crying girls!

"H-Hold up-"

"Fairy Tail...?" she whimpered, and Natsu stilled his flailing arms. "A-Are you from Fairy Tail?"

"Y-Yeah..." he started, a bead of sweat trickling down his neck. Lucy smiled and dropped to her knees, wiping her eyes with her shaky hands. "Oi, are you alright?"

"I'm great!" She pulled out a handkerchief and blew her nose into it. "I'm just... relieved is all. Very, very relieved." Sniffling, Lucy got to her feet and dusted off her fluffy skirts, smiling in Natsu's direction. "So... Are you the one who is assigned to protect me?"

"I guess." He scratched the back of his head. "I was just told to find Lucy Heartfilia, talk to her for a bit, and report back to guild." He nodded his head as he mentally checked off his list.

"How did you know where I was anyway?"

"I asked around a bit, and they pointed me in this direction with weird looks - though I don't know why. But apparently a lot of people know who you are."

"And you don't?"

"Not really. I've never heard your name before until today."

It was strange. This guy wasn't being polite with her at all. Even though he didn't know who she was personally, she was still a noble, and that was enough for her to get respect. But he didn't even bat an eye when he said her name or saw her face. It was... refreshing in a way.

"Well... I guess I should tell you everything that is going on." Lucy looked around, noticing they had gathered a crowd. She cleared her throat and glared at the onlookers, watching as they scattered away. "But not now. There's too many people."

"Then let's go back to the guild-"

"No!" she exclaimed, grabbing his arm and dragging him in a random direction. "I can't stay out much longer and my parents will get worried. Not to mention Loke will probably search high and low for me," she muttered the last part under her breath. "So three days from now, we'll talk at the guild."

"Why three days?"

"I have a lot to take care of at the moment," she said quietly. Now that Crux was suspicious of her, she had to find a way to throw both he and Loki off her trail, especially now that she got help from Fairy Tail. At this point she figured that she didn't have to worry about sneaking out as much, but she would still have to be careful if she were to contact him.

Natsu shrugged and threw his hands behind his head. "I guess we could meet at the guild then," he said, walking past Lucy. The blonde turned her head to watch him go. "I'll introduce you to everyone there! It'll be like adding another member to the family!" he adding, grinning in her direction.

"Family..." she uttered. Mira said the same thing about that guild when she went to visit before. Was Fairy Tail really that close? Would they let her inside that so called 'family' of theirs? In all honesty, Lucy wasn't even sure she _wanted_ to be apart of that family. It wasn't that she wasn't willing to make new friends and share close bonds - she loved meeting people who shared her interests - but she wasn't sure if they would accept her or if it would be a good idea. She didn't want to grow attached to people only to have them taken away from her abruptly.

Sighing, Lucy threw a grin at Natsu as she started on the road to her mansion. "We'll see about that. I'll see you three days from now!" she called as she sped her pace into a run.

"Oi wait!" Natsu yelled, and Lucy stopped her run to look back at him. "Why are you out all alone? Igneel said something about you not being allowed to leave by yourself."

If he was going to keep talking to her, then she might as well take him along. At this rate, if her pursuers were after her, then they would have more time to strike. If this Natsu fellow was with her, they might be delayed, but she still shouldn't be standing out in the open like this, especially with a commoner.

She gestured for him to hurry up follow her if they were going to talk, and he quickly caught up, both of them walking a quick pace down the sidewalks.

"If you must know," she began, looking around cautiously. Thankfully, no one was around to witness the scene and she continued, "I can't really bring my servants with me if they don't know what is going on."

"They don't know?" he asked, and Lucy shook her head. "Why?"

"It's... Complicated. Look, I can't tell you anything right now because we're still outside. It's dangerous." She was so glad Natsu had yanked her bun out even though it hurt. Her hair covered her face and made her nearly unrecognizable, but the noble dress still gave away her position. When they were reaching the area close to her house, she gently touched his arm and looked up at him. "Three days at the guild. Don't forget." And she turned on her heel, taking quick steps towards her home.

The rosy-haired man threw up the peace sign at her retreating figure. He didn't understand this specific request that Mira told him about. Why would she need protection from someone else if she could clearly could protect herself? Natsu looked at the back of his hand. Scratching wasn't much, but it was effective enough to make the attacker pause for a second.

But that kick!

Natsu idly rubbed his ribs with a scowl as he started walking towards Fairy Tail. Her kick was strong as hell! Surely she could protect herself with that!

About a half hour later, Natsu was sitting at a table in the guild, scarfing down a large piece of meat when his father pulled up a chair and flopped himself on it.

"How was she?" Igneel asked.

"Weird," Natsu answered, food and saliva flying out of his mouth. He swallowed and continued speaking. "She was running like she was being chased when I found her."

"Running?"

"Yeah. She looked scared, so when she passed by me, I grabbed her hair and pulled her bun out." And he continued eating, even as Igneel gaped at his son.

"Natsu!" the elder shouted, making the boy jump. "You're supposed to _protect_ her, not harm her!"

"I don't even think she needs protecting with how hard she kicked me," he muttered, wiping his mouth. Igneel glared disapprovingly as Natsu grinned. "She's kinda strong, so can I fight her?"

"You don't fight _women_ Natsu."

"But I fought Erza!"

"She's... Not human I believe."

Natsu tilted his head. "Then what is she?"

"Back to Lucy. What did she tell you?" Igneel ignored Natsu's question. Right now, he was more concerned if things were exactly how he pictured it. Natsu came back earlier than he thought, and he assumed that things went well between the two. Hopefully they did because Igneel really wanted to thrust it in Makarov's face later. He grinned at the thought.

"She didn't tell me anything," Natsu said, his mouth full once again. "She only said that she had business to take care of and that she'll be here in... three days?" He nodded to himself. "Three days."

Igneel's grin widened. This was actually going better than expected. He could meet her personally and tell her what he had in mind in regards to Natsu and his protection squad. Knowing noble families, they would not allow their children to roam the streets late at night. Peasants were maniacal and would often kill nobles for their money out of desperation, climbing their way to the top. No doubt that Miss Lucy Heartfilia would want be out late at night, and that gave him the perfect reason to throw Natsu at her as protection. That would be when the plan would set into action.

He couldn't wait.

* * *

Three days passed by agonizingly slow in Lucy's eyes. She didn't know if it was because she was nervous or because she was scared, but her hands got all sweaty when she thought about meeting with Natsu again. Perhaps it was because he was a commoner and she knew she could get in serious trouble for this.

She probably should've thought everything through before she came running for help, but her mind was clouded with fear for her life. Now that her head was clear, she thought of this as a very bad idea. If they failed, so much could go wrong in so little time. If she were to die, not only would her parents and servants mourn for her loss, they would also find out she had been keeping secrets and requested help from the lower class. If she lived, but caught her socializing with the peasants, information could leak out and they would be hated by the upper class, possibly even killed or stripped of their title. If she managed to live, apprehend her pursuer, cut off all ties with her protectors, _and_ keep the event a secret, she could slip and expose everything, thus leading to the possible title eradication or death. No matter how Lucy saw this, it all ended in failure.

Was it too late to back out?

"Luigi!"

Yep, it was.

Natsu grabbed her elbow and tugged her into the guild hall, where multiple tables and chairs were being tossed. She squeaked and ducked when a plate went sailing over her head. Natsu just grinned and shouted at random member as he pulled her towards the bar table.

He beckoned her to take a seat and Lucy and so, smoothing down her mahogany skirts. It had to be the most common-like thing she had in her closet, and Lucy felt proud of herself for picking it.

"You remembered!" Natsu exclaimed in her ear, making her flinch at the volume. "I didn't think you'd come."

"How could I forget when I was the one who said to meet in three days?" she muttered, leaning her head in her palm as she gazed over the energetic guild. When she came here the first time, it wasn't nearly as loud. Smelled worse, but it wasn't bustling. She also didn't remember seeing so many people in the hall as well, and she was starting to get a bit overwhelmed. Even during her short time in Sabertooth, despite being near people who would judge her based on her attire and that mystery lady, she found it easier to relax in that setting. But this... This was too much.

"Lucy...?" a voice said, and Lucy blinked, frowning as she turned her attention towards the speaker.

Her breath hitched in her throat.

"Gray..." she whispered.

* * *

Red lips smirked as green eyes danced with amusement. One finely manicured hand kept a beautiful head propped up elegantly as the other swirled rich, fine wine in the expensive glass.

"Oh? You dare show yourself in front of me, Lucy Heartfilia?" Her voice was smooth, seductive, cold enough to freeze the glass of water next to her despite it sitting in front of the fireplace. The smirk grew wider as she recalled the scared face of the blonde noble, her wide chocolate eyes filling her face, her plump lips agape in horror, her curvaceous body trembling uncontrollably.

She had unwittingly managed to get closer to the one person she sent so many people to threaten and kill. That information was richer and sweeter than the wine she was drinking.

The woman took a sip of the alcoholic beverage, her smirk growing wider. The target was so close, she could practically touch her. She could practically kill her with her bare hands.

"Ah, but good things come to those who wait. Patience is a virtue," the woman whispered to herself, lifting her glass higher in the air, watching the flames reflect off of the glass.

She couldn't just charge in and act recklessly like her subordinates, not when her prey was so close to her jaw. She needed to look at this carefully, predict each action that would come after, and learn everything that was needed to know. Lucy Heartfilia was _not_ allowed to escape this time.

A sadistic smile crossed Minerva Orlando's face as she tossed the rest of her wine in the fire, the _tsss_ sound of the fire extinguishing reaching her ears.

It was time to plan.

* * *

_Annnnnd our villain is revealed! "Why so early?" You guys may be asking. Well the answer is simple. Because I wanted it to be early, end of discussion.  
_

_Thank you all for reading! I'm glad I got this far, and thank you for helping me get there! Please leave a review!_


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